Thursday, September 7, 2017

Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

(I Corinthians 3:18-23; Luke 5:1-11)

A witness in the process of canonization of St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, testified that the saint never became agitated or angry.  Even on arduous journeys, Paul of Venice said, Dominic “was always happy in tribulations and patient in adversities.”  This note regarding another saint may help us appreciate the holiness of Simon Peter in the gospel today.

Simon must feel tired and frustrated as he returns from a long night of fishing without catching anything.  We might think of the writer who spends hours before her computer before realizing that she has typed nothing worth saving.  Or Simon now may be compared to the farmer who comes home to find his garden completely ruined by raccoons.  Simon may want to swear and certainly needs to rest before considering his next outing.  When Jesus at that moment tells him to put out to sea and lower the nets again, he may want to explode saying, “What do you know about fishing?”  But instead Simon tells the Lord calmly what took place during the night and does as Jesus commands.  The result is a catch so stupendous that Simon does not think twice about changing his life’s course to follow Jesus.


Where Jesus is leading us is demonstrated in today’s first reading.  Paul or one of his disciples writes that followers of Christ exhibit endurance, patience, joy, and thanksgiving. With practice we can develop these virtues.  They will bring much fruit – not only peace to us but even more followers to Christ.